baptized, and the new font in the church has, with singularly good taste, been formed in the same style. The former was probably in Stratford Church in Shakespeare's time, but the frequency of domestic baptisms in those days of course renders it somewhat doubtful whether it was used at the poet's christening.

John Shakespeare lived in Henley street* in 1552, and a house is still pointed out in the same street as the birthplace of Shakespeare in 1564.+ When tradition is thus partly supported by evidence, not known so early as the

former, it is carrying incredulity too far to oppose its dicta. We can safely regard the humble dwelling, now secured to

the country by the praiseworthy efforts of committees formed at Stratford and London, as the earliest home of our great dramatic poet. But this was not the copyhold tenement

he possessed one of the most authentic articles connected with the bard. In his garden was the fragment of the old font of the church, which Capt. Saunders found in a stonemason's yard at Stratford, and was acknowledged as having been removed from the church."-Prattinton MSS. in the Library of the Society of Antiquaries.

A very old street at Stratford. I find it mentioned in two deeds of 1369 and 1387, in vico qui vocatur Henley stret.

†There was a tradition about the year 1700 that Shakespeare was born near the churchyard. "Where have I read of Shakespear's house bordering upon the churchyard at Stratford in Gildon."-Oldys, MS. notes to Langbaine. A house near the river, called the Brook House, now pulled down, was some years since asserted to have been the birthplace of Shakespeare.

purchased by his father in 1556, which has never been shown to have been his residence. The Shakespeare property in Henley street, on which were situated the two houses purchased by John Shakespeare for £40 in 1575,* is clearly the locality of Shakespeare's youth, and the accompanying fine levied on that occasion describes it as consisting of two messuages, two gardens, and two orchards, with their appurtenances.

Hæc est finalis concordia facta in curia dominæ reginæ apud Westm. a die Sancti Michaelis in unum mensem anno regnor. Elizabeth. Dei gratia Angl. Franc. et Hibern. Reginæ, Fidei defensoris, &c. a conquestu decimo septimo, coram Jacobo Dyer, Ricardo Harpur, Rogero Manwood, et Roberto Mounson, justic. et aliis dominæ reginæ fidelibus tunc ibi præsentibus, inter Johannem Shakespere quer. et Edmundum Hall et Emmam uxorem ejus deforc. de duobus mesuagiis, duobus gardinis, et duobus pomariis, cum pertinentiis, in Stretford super Avon, unde placitum convencionis sum. fuit inter eos in eadem curia, scilicet quod prædicti Edm. et Emma recogn. prædict. ten. cum pertin. esse jus ipsius Johannis ut ill. quæ idem Johannes habet de dono prædictorum Edmundi et Emmæ, et ill. remiser. et quietclam. de ipsis Edmundo et Emma et hæred. suis prædicto Johanni et hæred. suis in perpetuum. Et præterea iidem Edmundus et Emma concesser. pro se et hæred. ipsius Emmæ quod ipsi warant. prædicto Johanni et hæred. suis prædict. ten. cum pertin. contra prædictos Edmundum et Emmam et hæred. ipsius Emmæ in perpetuum. Et pro hac recogn. remissione quietclam. warant. fine et concordia idem Johannes dedit prædictis Edmundo et Emmæ quadraginta libras sterlingorum.

John Shakespeare probably lived in one of these houses till his death; and Joan Hart, Shakespeare's sister, resided there in 1616 and 1639. A deed, bearing date 14 Aug. 33 Eliz. 1591, informs us that George Badger sold to John and William Courte "totum illud messuagium sive tenementum meum cum pertinentiis scituat. jacent. et existen. in Stretford prædicto, in quodam vico ibidem vocato

*This date has always been incorrectly given 1574, but that the purchase was made in the following year clearly appears from the fine above given, as well as from the foot of the fine preserved in the Chapter-House, Westminster. It appears from another fine preserved in the same repository, that Edmund Hall purchased part of this estate from Richard Hill.

B. Site of the Old Barn, sold to Alderman Payton in 1771.

A. B. C. D. Now belonging to the White Lion Inn. E. Sold by Thomas Hart to Alderman Payton in 1771. This reference includes the cottages, which were also sold to Payton.

References to the two houses in Henley street, the property of John Shakespeare. 1. Parlour. 2. Passage. 3. 3. 3. Kitchens. 4. Bar of the Inn, which, now termed the Swan and Maidenhead, was originally a dwelling-house. 5. Butcher's shop, now shown as Shakespeare's birthplace, but the cottage to the left (3) was originally part of the house. 6. Buttery. 7. Pantry. 8. Store-room. 9. Back parlour. 10. 10. 10. 10. Doors stopped up. 11. Pump. 12. Gates. 13. Back yard. The above plan is taken from Mr. Wheler's Account of the Birth-Place of Shakspeare,' 1824. The partitions which were made of the land originally belonging to this property do not appear to have been correctly identified.

Henley Streete, inter tenementum Roberti Johnson ex una parte et tenementum Johannis Shakespere ex altera parte." In 1597, John Shakespeare parted with a portion of his Henley-street property for the small sum of £2, the land apparently being of very little value in comparison with the house of the latter, and the part marked D in the foregoing plan has been stated to be the portion thus sold, but the deed of conveyance to George Badger distinctly informs us that it was bounded on the north by the Guild Pits. This deed was found very recently in the office of a solicitor at Birmingham, who very kindly, at the request of Mr. Hunt, of Stratford, permitted me to take a transcript of it.* It is not grammatically accurate.

*The following abstract of this and the deed next mentioned is copied from the original in Mr. Hunt's possession :

-

An abstract of the several deeds and writings relating to the title of one part of a messuage or tenement and premises in Stratford upon Avon formerly called the Swann Inn, and now the White Lyon Inn, belonging to Mr. John Payton.

14 Aug. 33 Eliz. Feoffment whereby George Badger sen. of Stratford upon Avon in the county of Warwick, draper, for divers good causes and considerations did give enfeoff deliver and confirm unto John Court of Oldborough in the county of Worcester, yeoman, and William Court of Stratford aforesaid, yeoman, all that messuage or tenement with the appurtenances situate lying and being in Stratford aforesaid in a certain street there called Henley Street between the house of Robert Johnson on the one part and the house of John Shakespeare on the other part, with all houses edifices buildings orchards gardens lands tenements hereditaments proffitts and commodities with the appurtenances to the said messuage or tenement belonging; and also two sellions of land containing by estimacion two acres of arrable land lying and being within the field of Stratford aforesaid between the land of Thomas Combe gent. of the one part and the lands of Thomas Raynolds on the other part, To hold to said John Court and William Court and their heirs and assigns for ever to the USE of said George Badger sen. and Alice his wife for their lives and the life of the survivor of them, remainder to George Badger jun. son of said George Badger sen. and the heirs male of his body, remainder to Edward, Richard, William, and Robert Badger, sons of said George Badger sen. one after another, and their heirs male respectively, remainder to the right heirs of said George Badger sen. for ever. 26 Jan. 39 Eliz. Feoffment whereby John Shakespeare of Stratford upon Avon aforesaid, yeoman, in consideration of £2 10 Ô by said George Badger sen. did bargain sale give deliver and confirm unto said George Badger his heirs and assigns all that toft or parcell of land in Stratford in Henley Street aforesaid, the house of said Shakespeare being on the East part thereof, and the house of said George Badger on the West part thereof, to hold to said George Badger his heirs and assigns. Executed by John Shakespeare, livery and scizin indorsed. [The purchase-money is not correctly given.]

Omnibus Christi fidelibus ad quos hoc præsens scriptum pervenerit, Johannes Shakespere de Stretford super Avonam in comitatu Warwici yoman salutem in Domino sempiternam. Noveritis me præfatum Johannem pro et in consideracione summæ quadraginta solidorum bonæ et legalis monetæ Angliæ mihi per quendam Georgium Badger de Stretford prædict. draper præmanibus solut. unde fateor me fideliter esse solut. et satisfact. dictumque Georgium Badger hæredes executores et administratores suos inde quiet. esse et exonerat. imperpetuum per præsentes, barganizavi et vendidi, necnon dedi et concessi, et hac præsenti carta mea confirmavi præfato Georgio Badger hæredibus et assignatis suis totum illud toftum et parcellum terræ meæ cum pertinentiis jacencium et existen. in Stretford super Avon prædicto, in quodam vico ibidem vocato Henlye Strete, inter liberum tenementum mei prædicti Johannis Shakespere ex parte orientali et liberum tenementum prædicti Georgii Badger ex parte occidentali, continent. in latitudine per æstimacionem dimid. unius virgat. apud utrosque fines, et jacet in longitudine a prædicto vico vocat. Henlye Strete ex parte austral. usque regiam viam ibidem vocatam Gyllpyttes ex parte boreali, continen. per æstimacionem in longitudine viginti et octo virgat. vel circa, et modo est in tenura sive occupatione mei prædicti Johannis Shakespere; habendum et tenendum prædictum toftum et parcellum terræ cum pertinentiis præfato Georgio Badger, hæredibus et assignatis suis, ad solum et proprium opus et usum ejusdem Georgii, hæred. et assign. suorum, imperpetuum, tenendum de capitalibus dominis feod. ill. per servicium inde prius debit. et de jure consuet. Et ego vero prædictus Johannes Shakespere et hæredes mei totum prædictum toftum et parcellum terræ cum pertinentiis præfato Georgio Badger hæredibus et assignatis suis ad opus et usum supradictum contra omnes gentes warrantizabimus et imperpetuum defendemus per præsentes. Sciatis insuper me præfatum Johannem Shakespere plenam et pacificam possessionem et seisinam de et in prædicto tofto et parcello terræ cum pertinentiis præfato Georgio Badger secundum vim, formam, tenorem, et effectum hujus præsentis cartæ meæ inde ei confect. in propria persona mea tradidisse et deliberasse. In cujus rei testimonium huic præsenti scripto meo sigillum meum apposui. Datum vicesimo sexto die Januarii anno regni dominæ nostræ Elizabethæ, Dei gracia Angliæ, Franciæ, et Hiberniæ reginæ, Fidei defensor. &c. tricesimo nono, 1596.

Sigillat. et deliberat. ac pacifica possessio et seisina de tofto et parcell. terræ infrascript. deliberat. fuit per infra-nominatum Johannem Shakespere infra-scripto Georgio Badger, die et anno infrascripto, secundum formam, tenorem, et effectum hujus præsentis cartæ, in præsencia viz. Richard Lane, Harry Walker, per me Willielmum Courte scriptor. Thomas Loche, Thomas Beseley.

This deed, besides affording the latest known instance of the mark of John Shakespeare, contains most valuable